peatt



(No Model.)

N. W. PRATT.

STEAM SUPPLY SYSTEM.

Patented Feb. 3, 1885,

AV/A

WITNESSES:

yma.

lUNiran dramas Parser @hhlilh.

NATHANIEL N. PRATT, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STRATTOh SEPARATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, II. Y.

STEAM-SUPPLY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,605, dated February 3,1885.

Appicalion filed May 15, 184. (No model T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL W. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Brooklyn. in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Supply Systems, of which the following is a specification.

It is well known that steam utilized directly from its source contains more or less water in entrainment, caused, principally, by priming in the generator, the quantity of entrained water or degree of saturation being increased when conveyed through long distances-a cause common to all steam-supply systems. Under such systems it is a matter of importance to the users that steam is delivered in a dry state for either power or heating purposes.

The quantity of steam furnished by supply companies is determined by meter measurement, the meter being usually located near the place of delivery.

The object of this invention is to separate the entrained water from the steam just pre vions to its use, and preferably previous to its passage through the meter, thus in either case avoiding a delivery of saturated steannand in the latter case a measurement of and con sequent payment for an unserviceable part of the same, and,further, to render the action of the meter more definite and certain.

In order that, others may understand and practice my invention, I will first proceed to describe,in connection with the accompanying drawings, such an operation and incidental construction as will produce the end desired, and subsequently to define in the claims the novel features.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the separator and delivery-pipe connec tion, and Fig. 3 a modified arrangement of the internal parts of the separator.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, steam is received from a main supply-pipe, a, through a branch delivery-pipe, b, into the separator, and deflected downward througha spiral course, (indicated by the arrows) due to its abrupt change of direction in entering and the annular formation of the separatorchamber at such part. (Shown in the plan view, Fig. 2.) This spiral course or direction of the current of steam projects the entrained water outwardly against the adjacent surfaces, after which it gravit-ates to the bottom of the chamber and becomes separated from the steam, which passes upward through the central depending pipe, 0, in a dry state. The separated water left by the passing steam, that accumulates in the bottom or well portion of the separator, may be discharged through a connected branch pipe, Z, to a re turn-pipe, 72, leading to ahot-well or feed-pipe connected with the generator or other desired place, or through and by theautomaticaction ot'a trap, connected with such portion of the separator, and with the main deliverypipe b, through the pipes k and a, which are provided with suitable cocks or valves to regulate its action.

In order to guard against an over-accumulation of water in the separator, which may be caused by a failure of the trap to act, a glass gage, m may he applied, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to indicate the quantity of wa ter therein. The dry steam passes upward through the central pipe, 0, to the meter (1,

that automatically measures and records the amount of flow, then through the pipe 0 to a heat-radiator, f-i'or example, an engine or other place of use. The waste or escape pipe of the engine, radiator, or other device (shown at 9, Fig. 1) may also be connected with the return-pipe h.

The modified internal arrangement of the separator shown in Fig. 3 effects a separation of the water by the force of gravity alone, and not by its combined force and the cen trifugal action of the current developed in the construction shown in Fig. l. The latter arrangement, however, is preferred.

The advantages attending the use of this invention are manifest. Steam of superior quality is supplied and the exact quantity used recorded. The separated water being returned to the generator in a heated state for reconversion practically compensates for the passing steam are arrested, an apparatus for 10 slight loss that might. be felt if Wasted. discharging such accumulated water or re- Having thus fully described my invention, turning the same to the generator, and an au- What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters tomatic measuring-meter to indicate the quan- 5 Patent, istity of steam supplied.

Asteam-supply system of distribution, con- 7 NAT. W. PRATT. sisting of a distributing-main and delivery- Witnesses: pipe communicating through an interposed CHAS. WV. FORBES, separator, wherein the water-particles of the JOHN S. CALDWELL. 

